Blower and exhauster



(No Model.)

W; SCHUSTBR.

4 Sheets-Sheet 1.

BLOWER AND EXHAUSTER.

Patented Aug. 24,1897.

IIFFIIIIII ATTORNEYS 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Aug 24,1897

l 1 fr @l anni u' il Ilm *i /NI/E/VTOI? www W. seHUsTBR.

BLOWER AND BXHAUSTBR.

. .1 .N H Y Nm F11-.. Il, Il UIN m n@ 4 1li W n 0 .Nl 1 m w TN QN $8 NQ Q (No Model) Q mb @KLA/58859 W SCHUSTER BLOWER AND BXHAUSTER..

(N o Modem' W//VESSES:

m 7 A M e 0u S e 8 HJ n .l. m m JU DN" v v I||||I|-|- v in N 0 s 4 llllllllill i l M x HHIIIIIIII u1 rr. U e 2 fl1||i ik? l alllmlllllilrvli An S g 4. u n.

Dv u

l such valve, which serves as a valve for the- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

IVILLIAMSCHUS'IER OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA. 'Y

BLOWER AND ExHAusTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters llatent N o. 588,735, dated August 24, 1897.

Application tied Januaryv, 1896. serial No. 574,640. (No m'odei.)

To all, tlf/"tout it zitalylcmwcrt:

Be it known thatl, WILLIAM SCHUsTER, a resident of Pittsburg, in the county of Alle-v gheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Blowers and EXhausters; and-I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof. j,

My invention relates to pumping apparatus operated by rotary power for compressing the air, gas, or other fluid by means of the reciprocating action of pistons within cylinders and at the same time providing by means of a single valve for the control of the ports of a cluster of such cylinders located around entire cluster, so providing for positive compression or suction of the air or other iiuid and yet providing a simple apparatus which is capable of forcing a large bulk of fluid.

My invention comprises, generally stated, a cluster of cylinders arranged around a rotating valve controlling the flow to and from the cylinder and a rotating cylinder communicatin g with said valve and rigidly connected with an encircling ring set obliquely thereto and engaging with the piston-rods to impart reciprocating motion to the same.

It also comprises certain other improvements, all of which will be fully set forth and claimed.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use myinvention, I will describe the same more fully, referring to the accompanying drawings, in whichv Figure 1 is a side view of the pumping apparatus. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal central section showing the rods and parts of the appatus in full lines, the section of the spiral por' tion of the controlling-valve not being central, but/being shown with the outside shell removed so that its shape may be seen. Fig. 3 is a cross-section on the line 3 3, Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a cross-section on the line 4 4, Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is an end view of the driving end of the apparatus. Fig. 6 is a cross-section on the line 6 6, Fig. 2; and Fig. 7 is a central sectional perspective of the controllin g-valve.

Like letters and numerals of reference indicate like parts in each of the views.

The general construction of the apparatus isclearly set forth in Fig. 2. The apparatus is illustrated with six compressing-cylinders,

marked, respectively,h1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and G. These cylinders are stationary, and, as fully shown in Figs.l 3 and 4, are cast in two sections, the lower section B, connected to the bed-plate A, carrying the cylinders 3, 4, and 5, while the upper section C carries the cylinders l, 2, and 6, said sections having the flanges Z) and c, by which the two sections are bolted together. For the purpose of strength the sections B and C have the end walls b b2 and c' c2 between the cylinders and to which the cylinder-heads are connected, and to further strengthen or brace the cylinders I employ the Central plates b3, cast betweenthe cylinders 3 and 4 and 4 and 5, respectively, and extending out to the flanges b4, by which the lower section is bolted to the bed-platey A. To inclose the several cylinders, as shown more clearly in Figs. l, 3, and 4, a wooden casing D is built around the cylinders between the end walls b b2 and c' c2, said casing also fitting on each side of the plates b3, which Aproject from the same and are covered by a suitable lplate d. As the two sections B and C are bolted together they form the central cylindrical bearing e, in which the valve F is mounted, said valve being part of a casting composed of the valve F and the cylinder G, which extends back to the bearing H, in which itis mounted, said bearing also carrying rear journals or bearings for the several pistonrods. Said bearing H has also attached to it in line with the cylinder G the hollow head or casing K, which is stationary, being rigidly connected to the bearing H, and which has the entrance k, with which the pipe carrying the uid to the pumping apparatus is to be connected. n

Thevalve F and cylinder G are lformed as one casting, and in order to turn the same the central shaft I is rigidly connected to a central hub g, supported by webs g', projecting inwardly within the cylinder G, this central or driving shaft I extending back through the casing K and being mounted in the bearingt' in the end of the casing, -said bearing carrying a stuflng-box t, so as to form a packed joint around the central driving-shaft. `Power may be connected to said centrali'd'rivingshaft from any suitable source, so as to impart a rotary motion to the same, and through IOO such shaft to the cylinder G and valve F. The several compression-cylinders contain pistons a, which have piston-rods a' extending back therefrom and carrying the rollers a2, mounted in the frame d3, formed as part of the pistonrod, the rear end of each of the piston-rods being formed angular and passing through the bearing 7L, carried on the rear frame or bearing H. To actuate these pistons, I provide the encircling frame L, which is rigidly secured around the cylinder G and has formed around the same the encircling ring M, which is set obliquely or at an angle to the cylinder G and engages with the piston-rods by fitting between the rolls a2 in the frames 0:3, so that as thecylinder G is rotated by means of ihis obliquely-set ring a reciprocating motion is imparted to the several pistons within the several compression-cylinders.

The valve F,hereinaf ter described in detail, is of such construction that it feeds the air alternately from the entrance-cylinder G to opposite ends of each compression-cylinder and receives the compressed air from the same and delivers it through the central discharge-pipe N.

As thus generally described the operation of the apparatus is practically as follows: By suitable power the central cylinder G and valve F are rotated, and in so doing by means of the encircling ring M reciprocating motionl is imparted to the pistons c in the several cylinders, and the valve F feeds the air as it is rotated with the cylinder G to one or the other end of the compression-cylinders and then receives the air therefrom after it is com-- pressed, and discharges the same through the central outlet N.

I will now describe the parts more in detail, so that their construction may be more clearly understood. The several compressioncylinders have the front piston-heads a5 secured to the front end walls b2 c2, respectively, the rear piston-heads as secured to the rear end walls b c', respectively, the piston-rods a passing through suitable stuiiing-box c7 on the same. Each cylinder has ports at its endfor example, the front ports a and the rear ports oil-these several ports leading down through the central bearing e, in which the valve F is mounted, so as to provide for the flow of air to and from each end of each cylinder.

The central valve F can be clearly understood from an examination of Figs. 2, 3, 4, and 7, said valve being formed of a cylindrical shell or body f, having in the center thereof a spiral wall f', which divides it diagonally into two parts-the inlet-passage f2 and the outlet-passage f3. The inlet-passage f2 has the ports p at the rear end of the shell f and the ports .19 at the front end of the shell, but diagonally opposite to the ports p, these ports being connected by the diagonal passage f2, which is always in communication with the cylinder G. The outlet-passage f3 has the port r near the rear end of the shell f and the port fr at the front end of the shell diagonally opposite to the port o' and connects by the spiral passage f3, which leads to the outlet N. It willbe seen. by examining Fig. 3 that the valve-shell f, from which the spiral wall f extends across so as to form the inlet and outlet passages f2 and f3, shows two ports 79 p or 7' r, separated only by a slight web p4, but shows the webs p2, which extend down from the spiral wall f, of a length corresponding about to the width of the ports n', so that they will close such ports when the pistons in the compressioli-cylinders reach the ends of their strokes, so closing such ports a at the end of the stroke of each pistonand again opening the port on the opposite side of the spiral wall f', changing it from supply to exhaust, or vice versa. At the other end of the valve-shell f the saine construction is employed, the web portion r2 of the shell controlling the ports 'a of the respective compression-cylinders and changing them from supply to exhaust, or vice versa. The valve F is mounted in the cylindrical bearing e in any suitable way, so as to hold the same in proper line or against end thrusts,

being shown as havin g a central projecting ring e', iitting into a like recess e2 in the face of the valve-bearing e, such projecting ring being' surrounded by suitable packing,` such as Babbitt metal, While like metal is employed to pack the same at the ends of the valve F. To prevent the escape of air or gas around the cylinder G, I provide the stufling-box g2, surrounding the said cylinder and held by suitable bolts to the rear end Walls b c'. It is not considered necessary to have a stuiiin gbox at the other end of the valve, as incase of any escape of air it will pass into the outlet-pipe N, which is rigidly connected to the front end wall b2 c2. The rear end of the cylinder G is packed in like manner by means of the stuffing-box g3, which engages with the rear frame or bearing I-I.

I have preferred to support the encircling frame L with its obliquely-set ring M on the hollow cylinder G and arrange the air-entrance behind the same; but it is to be understood that the air-entrance port may be located at any suitable point to feed air to the central valve F and the encircling obliquely-set ring be supported in any suitable way, so that it can be rotated and can operate upon the several pistons to impart the reciprocating motion thereto.

I will now describe the operation of the apparatus somewhat more in detail, and more especially in connection with the valve F. As the valve is rotated it will be noticed that its ports p p in the entrance-passage f2 communicate with opposite ends of the cylinders, so that in the position shown in Fig. 2 air can pass into the forward ends of the three cylinders 3, 4, and 5 and into the rear ends of the three cylinders l, 2, and (i, none of the cylinders being cut oil. from the air-supply. In like manner by means of the ports 9' fr ICO IIO

the air can be ldischarged from the forward ends of the cylinders l, 2,' and 6 and from the rear ends vof the cylinders 3, 4, and 5. In such position the air will feed into and be forced out from such respective ends of the cylinders, and as the valve F is turned its webs or'valve-faces p2 r2 will act to close the end of each cylinder as the piston therein reaches the end of its stroke. For example, as shown in Fig. 3, the valve F turning to the right the cylinders 6 and 8 will first be cut off, and following that the cylinders l and 4, and following that the cylinders 2 and 5. During this movement as the` valve F is turned the air will pass to the ports p and through the spiral passage f2 to the ports p vand feed air through the same tothe differentV cylinders as the valve is rotated, While air will be received through the ports r and i', and by .means of the spiral passage f3 will pass from the ports r and r/ to the outletpassage N. Meanwhile as the obliquely-set ring M is rotated it imparts a reciprocating motion to the piston-rods a', and thence to the pistons a in the cylinders, forcing them back and forth and compressing or sucking the air or other fluid by means of the same, so that it is discharged through valve to the outlet N. This is accomplished with but little loss of power and practically no friction, as the rollers a2, carried by the pistonrod frames, overcome practically all the friction between the obliquely-set ring and the piston-rods. In this way by means of the obliquely-set ring and the cluster of pistons the rotary motion imparted to the pumping apparatus is converted into a reciprocating motion to operate the pumps, While but a single valve and one having large passages therein is required to control the flow of air to andfrom the several compressing-cylinders. In this way I obtain positive compression or suction, while providing a pumping apparatus which is simple in construction and has large ports or passages, so as to compress or suck the air in large volume.

lVhat I cla-im as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In cornbination'with a cluster of cylinders extending parallel'with-each other, reciprocatin g pistons mounted in the same, and a single rotary valve mounted centrally of the cluster of cylinders and having its axis parallel with the cylinders and controlling the ports thereof, substantially as set forth.

'2. In combination with a cluster of cylinders having reciprocating pistons moving therein, a single rotary valve mounted centrally of said cluster of cylinders and having an inlet-opening at one end and an outletopening at the other and-a diagonally-extending wall dividing it into inlet and outlet passages so as to provide communication thereby with end of each cylinder, substantially as set forth. g

3. In combination with a cluster of cylinders having reciprocating pistons moving therein, a single rotary valve mounted centrally of said cluster of cylinders, having an 4. The combination of a cluster of cylin-vv ders having reciprocating pistons therein, the rotary val ve F, having diagonal division-wall f'separating it into diagonal inlet and outlet passages, f2, f3 respectively, andhaving at each end ports leading respectively from such inlet and outlet passages ofthe valve, and having the'web-faces p2 r2 respectively closing the ports to the respective cylinders, substantially as set forth.

5. In combination with a cluster of cylinders and pistons reciprocating therein, a rotary valve mounted centrally of the cluster of cylinders and controlling the flow thereto, and a rotary ring rigid with the driving mechanism for the valve and set obliquely thereto and engaging with the several piston-rods to operate the pistons in the cylinders, substancontrolling the ports to and from the cluster of cylinders, the rear end of said rotary cylinder being mounted in a stationary frame carrying a head or casing with which the inlet-pipe communicates, substantially as set fort-h.

S. In combination with a' cluster of cylinders and pistons reciprocating therein, acentral rotating hollow cylinder carrying a valve controlling the ports to and from the cluster IOO IIO

of cylinders, the rear end of said rotary cylinder being mounted in a stationary'frame. carrying a head or casing with which the inlet-pipe communicates, and a central drivingshaft passing through a stued joint at the en d of said stationary casing and rigidly connected to said rotary cylinder, substantially as set forth.

9. The combination of a cluster of cylinders formed in two sections, one resting on the bed-frame and the other section supported by and secured to said section, said two sections forming together a central bearing for the valve controlling the ports to said cylin-v reeess'e2 to receive a projecting ring e' on ro said valve, substantially asset forth` I testimony whereof I, the said VILLIAM SCHUSTER, have hereunto set my hand.

VILLIAM SCHUSTER.

W'tnesses:

RoBT. D. TOTTEN, ROBERT C. TOTTEN. 

